Kovalam
Accomadation
This enchanting strip of golden sands is laced with the rich greenery
of coconut palms. A former fishing village, Kovalam is just 16 kms
away from Trivandrum, Kerala's capital city. Kovalam is an evergreen
and pleasant climatic beach resort. It is a dreamy place for tourists
all over the world.
With high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue waters, this beach
paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights. Kovalam was
brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore. Over the
past three decades, the place has been well developed, and now figures
prominently on the world tourism map.
Its scenic beauty and serenity is supplemented by the availability
of  excellent
accommodation . There are a lot of restaurants which provide western
style food as well as Indian, which is delicious. The grilled seafood
items such as lobster, king prawns and kalamari which are got fresh
from the sea at Kovalam. Ayurvedic massage parlours, yoga centers
and water sport facilities, makes Kovalam a popular haven for tourists
from all over the globe.
It is warm and clean by the coconut trees and the white sandbed as
the seabreeze gently plays with the waves. Swimming and bathing are
very refreshing and exhilirating in the waves. One can walk into the
sea about 100 metres without loosing ground. This cove is also the
safest place for swimming. Most of the visitors like to have a sunbath
and get a good suntan on beach . At many coastal places there are
beautiful patches of coral reefs. The underwater views, which are
visible during snorkeling, are really marvellous.
Kovalam, meaning "a groove of coconut trees," is just 10
km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is actually a combination
of three  small
beaches. Among these, the southernmost beach, named Lighthouse Beach,
is the most frequented. Earlier this beach was an anglers' paradise.
It still has some small villages, just a few kilometers away, which
belong to the fishing community. Gradually, it has been transformed
to a tourist spot of great interest. It is an ideal place for a sunbath
during the winter. Tourists can also experience the typical Kerala
massage from the parlors available a few kilometers away along the
beaches
Apart from the usual sunbath and surfing, many marine activities
are possible at Kovalam. The local fishermen provides sunrise and
sun set cruises in fishing boats.
The Catamaran cruises, on the country raft is very popular here.
Very recently an innovative tour operating company of Trivandrum
has introduced a new package for marine Angling for deep-sea fishing.
This new project is concentrated near Vizhinjam fishing harbor,
just 4 km away east of Kovalam beach. Surfboards and boogie boards
can also be hired on the beach.
At Kovalam many hotels and resorts offers the Ayurvedic massage
and treatment. Yoga (Indian way of meditation) centers are also
plenty in Kovalam. Some theatres perform the traditional Kerala
art form, Kathakali and ethnic martial art, Kalarippayattu
Languages : Malayalam, Tamil, and English
The Beach
 Picturesque
beaches, coconut fringes, the anglers' community, all sorts of fruits,
palm beer, a large multitude of tourists swarming the sandy seashore,
the lighthouse-all these are epithets that signify Kovalam, the
exotic beach situated in the southern state of Kerala, popularly
known as God's own country.
The Kovalam beach is especially famous for its coconut fringes,
palm beer, seafood and the refreshing Ayurvedic massage available
at the nearest parlors.
Moreover, the relaxing sunbath and suntan facility of the beach
is one of the reasons of tourist attraction, especially from the
foreign countries. The beach also has some entertainment facilities
like swimming, yogic exercises, fresh seafood and diving in the
Arabian Sea
Best Season, Climate, and Clothing
September to March is the best time to visit Kovalam Beach. In
winter the average temperature is 30 - 32 degree Celsius whereas
the summer temperature is 30- 35  degree
Celsius. The monsoon starts at the beginning of June, which lasts
till the beginning of August. The second turn of monsoon starts
at the end of October and lasts for the next two weeks.
Apart from the usual sunbath and surfing, many marine activities are
possible at Kovalam. The local fishermen provides sunrise and sun
set cruises in fishing boats.
Catamaran cruises
The Catamaran cruises, on the country raft is very popular here.
Very recently an innovative tour operating company of Trivandrum
has introduced a new package for marine Angling for deep-sea fishing.
This new project is concentrated near Vizhinjam fishing harbor,
just 4 km away east of Kovalam beach. Surfboards and boogie boards
can also be hired on the beach.
Ayurvedic Massage
At Kovalam many hotels and resorts offers the Ayurvedic massage
and treatment. Yoga (Indian way of meditation) centers are also
plenty in Kovalam. Some theatres perform the traditional Kerala
art form, Kathakali and ethnic martial art, Kalarippayattu.
Private Beaches
 Among
innumerable beach holiday resorts Kovalam Ashok Beach Resort, Surya
Samudra Beach Garden, Somatheeram, Niki's Nest, Cocunut Bay Beach
Resort, Uday Samudra Beach Resort, Hotel Samudra etc own private
beaches famous for their cleanliness and secluded location. Most
of these private beaches are located near Vizhinjam at least 8 km
far from Kovalam.
Excrusions Around Kovalam
The holy city of Anantha, Thiruvananthapuram City is located just
sixteen kilometers north of Kovalam. Sri Padmnabhaswamy Temple is
the major landmark of the city. Though non-Hindus are not entitled
to enter inside the temple one can visit the premises,  which
is an architectural marvel. Puthan malika or Horse Palace is a wooden
palace, situated very near to the Temple. The belongings of the
Royal Family and the very construction of the palace make the visitors
amazing. The Chalai Market is a big market just meters away to the
temple is a fine example of the typical market of Kerala. The Napier
Museum is a building in Indo-Saracenic Style, situated just 3 km
away is yet another site to be visited.
The hill resort, Ponmudi is located 60 km away from Thiruvananthapurm
city. The resort is famous for its tea plantations and jungle streams.
Another important site to be visited is Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin),
the Southern most tip of Indian subcontinent. Kanyakumari in Tamil
Nadu state is 90 km East of Kovalam, is the place where three oceans
meet together. A visit to Vivekananda Rock located exactly on the
sea is worth full. Kanyakumari is famous for sunrise and sun set
watching. Padmnabhapuram palace, the second largest wooden palace
in Asia is on the way to Kanyakumari, which is a major center of
tourist attraction.
How to reach
By air
The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, 14 km away
to Kovalam. Many International Airlines are operating flights to and
from here. Indian Airlines and Jetairways are operating domestic flights.
There are direct flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Banglore.
By Rail
Trivandrum Central Railway Station is the nearest railway station.
From here trains are available to all major parts of India.
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